Weekend Getaways near Bruges

About Bruges

If you've seen the cult dark comedy In Bruges, you know exactly what to expect in this peculiar city. It's a prominent world heritage site according to UNESCO and that automatically makes it a haven for art connoisseurs. It's also called the "Venice of the North" so you can imagine how many new fairytales of your own you can create whilst walking down the cobbled roads to the whitewashed facades of historic churches. Spring is meant for daffodil carpets spread all over the city.Famous for: Beer and art.Things to do: Climb up the 366 stairs of the medieval Belfry Tower. Admire the flemish primitive artworks at Groeninge Museum.Weather in January: Average temperature is 5 degrees celsius. Remains dry, but nippy.Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 62,000For more details, read this.

London can be an expensive city if you head to all the tourist traps. I am the master of finding something free to do in this city (could be to do with the fact I usually have no money in my pocket and I'm Dutch which means I'm basically a tight arse!). Here's a great guide to London that's absolutely FREE! All you need is a travel card that will reach London Zones 1-6 and you are set!

London is the capital of England and one of the top ten tourist destinations of the world. From history and culture to fine food and good times, this city has something for everyone! And guess what, you can now visit it on a transit visa if you have a long layover! You will require a Visitor-in-Transit visa and you can know all about it here.

2. England- The London Tube: There are a lot of things you can love about England, but nothing is more enchanting than having time to spare and watching the London tube at rush hour. From the unwritten rules of staying to the left on escalators to the packed like sardines carriages, the tube can give you new found respect for space. The tube stands for everything ‘London’. Add the fact that they scaled new heights in design whilst creating the new tube map.

The utter failure of his medical practice gave Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, plenty of time to write about a consulting detective who solves crimes by applying deduction and logic. It is believed that Sir Arthur was inspired by Dr Joseph Bell, one of his tutors from medical school in Edinburgh, while creating the character. Dr Bell’s great grandfather— Benjamin Bell was credited with the invention of the science of deduction. In the early drafts of A Study of Scarlet, which was initially called A Tangled Skein, Sir Arthur described ‘Sherringford Holmes’ as someone who works in a chemical laboratory and collects rare violins.However, he didn’t want Holmes to be the narrator of the story, so he created Ormond Sacker, who had seen military service in Sudan. In the story that finally got published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in August 1887, Sir Arthur changed Sacker to Dr John Watson, an invalid military doctor who was shot in the shoulder in Afghanistan. Since then, the duo has gone to enjoy stellar careers in books, on stage, in film, and on television.

LEAVESDENDrink a glass of Butter Beer Actually, everything at the Warner Brother’s Studio for Harry Potter in Leavesden, can bring out the glee-ful child in you. From real Butter Beer, to walking through Diagon Alley, to exploring Snape’s table of potions. It’s truly magical ! wbstudiotour.co.uk

The best way to get around England would be to book your stay in its magnificent capital city, London. Of course, your stay here might be slightly more expensive than in other places, which aren’t so main stream. But you will certainly appreciate the ease with which you will find frequent transportation to all other parts of the country.

Download a London underground map from the internet and carry a print out with you for your comfort. We reach the station and at the station ask for the Oyster card, it's basically a prepaid card which is used for travelling in London underground trains. Just fill the card with a certain amount of money and flash it at the entry/exit in all stations. The money will get deducted from your card depending on the distance travelled by you.You can also use this card to travel in buses in and within London. We filled the card for 20 pounds each. This saves you the time and also money of buying tickets, every time you travel in train or bus. Do not take the taxis, unless you have lot of money to spend, as taxi travel is quiet expensive especially when you are holidaying on a shoe string budget.

I have always been in awe of wooden windmills, from the first time I, as a child, attempted to paint a Dutch country side with a windmills-dotted skyline to the time when I visited a windmill-turned-brewery (Browerij’t IJ) in Amsterdam on my student trip in 2011. My short time in Amsterdam had not given me the scope to visit any other windmills around the area and my awe persisted. In my recent Euro-trip, I decided to get a closure on my infatuation and visit the Dutch countryside teeming with these imposing wooden structures. The visit turned out to be much more than windmills and alas, my love for the Dutch countryside continues…In Netherlands, there are two very popular neighborhoods which have been protected and preserved to display the Dutch way of living and trades and crafts from rural Netherlands. One is Kinderdijk (near Rotterdam) which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The other is Zaanse Schans (near Amsterdam). We decided on Zaanse Schans because it was easier for us travel-wise. We took a bus from Stuttgart to Amsterdam and then bought an Amsterdam & Region Travel Pass, which covers a lot of neighborhoods around Amsterdam including the famous Keukenhof tulip gardens and Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans is a short 45 mins trip from Amsterdam Central by bus.We had booked an Airbnb accommodation in Zaandijk, very close to the site of Zaanse Schaans. After freshening up, we took our bicycles and made our way to the site. It was very windy and our hair was windswept. As we neared the place, a strong odour accosted us. We were to find out later that it was the emissions from the chocolate and starch factories in the region.We had a preconceived picture of a few windmills and wooden houses that we would get to see at the site. But the scene that welcomed us transported us immediately to the industrial age in Netherlands. It is like an open-air museum with bakery, cheese factory, clog-making warehouse and wooden houses with barns and working-windmills on the banks of river Zaan that flows in the area. It indeed looked like a painting.

Next day we visited local markets for cheese shopping and local outlets before heading to Paris. These cheese shops have tons of options and these cheese could be used for 4 weeks without a fridge, of course in temperate regions. Shopkeepers speaks both Dutch as well as English.

Did you know that there are more Bicycles than the total population of Amsterdam. Huge bicycle parking areas are too common here. Try to visit Bloemen Market, it's flower floating market and if possible try to Visit Githeroon too, it's only 2.5 hours away. Githeroon is always known as city of no roads. Mostly accessible through boats only. I had only 24 hours in Amsterdam so I missed it. After dinner we visited Ice Bakery for their amazing Nutella Crepe and then started exploring Amsterdam in the night. We visited the Red light district as it was recommended as a Major tourist attraction. Its was a very strange and awkward experience for me as this place was filled with drunk sneaky young crowd negotiating with women in glass cabins. I wasn't very comfortable so I walked out, sat near Dam Square and started thinking about this sad reflection of such a great city :( I read somewhere few years ago that Dutch people are very conservative and sensitive towards their culture and values specially what they are imparting to their young generation. In 2013 Unicef report, Dutch children rated as the 'happiest children in the world. So how these locals are maintaining that specially with world famous streets like these. Locals must do something to save real glory of Amsterdam from disappearing in lights which is of colour Red. You can visit Anne Frank House,Van Gogh Museum, Parks, Nightclubs during your stay here.

Amsterdam:Cologne Germany to Amsterdam distance:272 KmsAmsterdam is a city of beautifully woven canals and it welcomed us with a canal tour via boats. These canals are beautiful and from the boat one can witness and enjoy the history of this place while enjoying the incredible views. We sailed through the narrow lanes of the 'Happiest city of the world'. We came to know about Dutch people and that they have Canal Houses in Amsterdam and I think this is something you are not going to see anywhere else in the world.I tried to peep inside few open windows of these house and I was amazed with the interior and space management. While sailing, all you are going to feel is just happy vibes..:) people are chilling, drinking,dancing and enjoying their meals with family in small boats. I forgot to capture these moments because in Europe it happens often. You become so lost in the view. After canal tour we visited Dam Square, shops, museums and got squinted with Amsterdam.

Later in the day, board a cruise to explore the city of Amsterdam in a glass-topped boat, drifting through the canals and witness the city's marvellous architecture.Pro tip: Amsterdam might have the lowest crime rate in the world but it is still notorious for pickpockets. Keep an eye on your belongings.

AMSTERDAMWe landed in the City of Canals at midnight. We had booked an Airbnb apartment for the complete 10 nights stay in this city. Hilde was our host and she keeps travelling to Nepal for the amazing work she does for the people there and rents out this cute little apartment during this time. The bus stops were 2 minutes walking distance from here and hence very convenient (even in the night). Here is the link if you would like to visit anytime -https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/1308618?eluid=1&euid=22d8f6be-dd6d-d27f-ffbb-0aced378cb0aYou can also stay in the house boats. WOW!Amsterdam is the most prettiest place in Europe! It is full of life and a cultural shock as many say! Just hire a bicycle or explore the city on foot, sit by the beautiful canals and create your own memories. Do take care of your bikes at the same time :)

Ticket to Tomorrowland - Where there's a will, there's a way, kind of beautifulAfter my solo trip to Bali, Indonesia in April, I made up my mind that I am going to Tomorrowland this year and will explore other official ticket partners even if I have to go for solo trip again. I got 2-3 options and finalized one on the basis of reliability, price and package they were providing. My bus package was starting from Amsterdam from there they gave me treasure box (official ticket) in the bus and dropped me and other festival goers in the front gate of camping at Tomorrowland in Boom, Brussels.

The next morning we did a tour of the Amsterdam canal by the cruise followed by the Heineken Experience. The rest of the day went much about walking around the city and shopping for some souvenirs. We had dinner at Het Karbeel - one the best restaurents known for serving Cheese Fondue.

We took and early morning train from Brussels to Amsterdam. We headed directly to our AirBnB place, and after freshening up we went to the city center. The city center is well connected by train and trams, so we took a day pass for public transport to move around in the city. We went to Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank house, IamAmsterdam sign and Jordaan. We had booked a Red Light District tour online for the evening. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and explained to us the history of the place. It was a great tour, and fascinating enough to know how we do not look beneath the surface of the things. The city center is lively and full of great eateries and shops.

Last but not the least, Amsterdam is a blessing to check-in and social media fanatics. More importantly, you can stay connected without having to worry about your international roaming charges. More than ninety percent of Amsterdam provides free Wi-Fi with high quality connectivity. This is not limited to coffee shops, cafes, restaurants or hotels. Any kind of public place, even a bus stop provides you with high speed free Wi-Fi.Amsterdam is a must visit place in a lifetime . Once you visit the place you will surely be tempted to visit it again.

Bidding farewell to Europe is not so easy after experiencing so many days of sheer excitement, joy and fun filled days and nights. We left for the Airport with heavy heart.Important tips while planning Europe Trip:1) Euro is acceptable everywhere, but in Switzerland Swiss franc is also acceptable.2) Not everybody speaks English so in some parts where you are communicating with local you may use sign language. They are very very helping and understanding people.3) Try to stay longer at one place in order to absorb the culture and create as many personal stories for your memories.4) Walk, walk and walk whenever and wherever possible- you will love it.5) Europe is filled with incredible landscapes, architecture and cultural diversity and its too tough to cover it all. Mark places where you really really want to go. Therefore and before hand planning and some quality Google time will definitely help.6) Keep a hardcopy of all travel documents specially in case of country hopping, just to avoid any trouble (Just in case, you never know)7)You can rent a car in Europe with an International Driving License.Its easy option and you get more much possibilities to enjoy most scenic roadtrips of your life.Please consider few more factors to while renting like Gas is costly in Europe and sometimes few cities get too crowded to drive.You can visit these websites for Car Rental:www.autoeurope.comwww.Europcar.comHave a safe Journey..:)

Paris:Amsterdam to Paris Distance-513.4KmsWhen I was travelling next morning in the bus I was so excited to visit Eiffel Tower, the official Symbol of Romance . It was a hot day in Paris so we decided to visit till 2nd level of the tower from where the view of whole Paris leaves you speechless. I thinks its the view factor only as the Tower is not that Romantic as it seems in Instagram, Movies and Facebook. You have to climb the stairs or wait in a long, very long queue for elevators. Its not as safe as previous destinations so you must be careful about the pickpockets. After this we visited Notre dame Cathedral, Arc de triumph Shakespeare and Company which was built by Nepoleon, Louvre etc.

Our first stop was Paris. We were asked to leave behind the image of Paris being the city of romance and were cautioned against the prevalent thefts and robbery. Enveloped in fear, we embarked on our journey from the airport to our Airbnb apartment on the Haussmann Road, quite central to Paris. The first train was to take us from the airport to the right terminal; the second was the RER B, the one which connects the suburbs to the main city; and the third one was the intercity metro. We got down at Chaussée d'Antin – La Fayette. Paris manifested in its full grandeur the moment we came out of the metro station – the iconic architecture, Parisian balconies, boulevards flanked by glamour laden retail, fabulously dressed men and women – men in hats, women in winter coats, as if they have just stepped out of Vogue and such diligently crafted food, looking warmly at you from behind the windows panes, making you feel weak at your knees. There were French men and women, some tourists, some travelers and some cosmopolites, swarming the streets.The residents appeared fit and fast paced. A lot of them smoked cigarettes. The streets were littered with cigarette butts. After having parked our luggage in our cozy apartment, we stepped out, breathed in some Paris, walked along the fortified walls of the river Siene. It was evening. Wherever the gaze turned, there was a landscape painted in fall colours. The pathways stretched as far as the eyes could see. The trees that lined all the pathways were pruned in a very peculiar squarish fashion. Painfully enduring the cold waves (7-8 degree Celsius), we were looking at Parisians with wonder, who were running and exercising in shorts and single jersey T-shirts. Enjoying our flânerie, we evaluated a bit of French retail and grabbed a butter croissant from Paul, a boulangerie and patisserie found all over Paris. It is absolutely fine if one doesn’t speak or understand French but it is so much more fun if you do. We had our first meal, an aubergine and zucchini pizza in a very French style café, Tivoli; right in front of an Indian restaurant, Gandhi Ji’s, supposedly run by people from Pakistan. Most of the Parisian cafes had a strange seating arrangement on the outside. There were little chairs closely paired facing the street, sitting on which both the persons could romantically look over the street, even if the street was busy or narrow or as less as 4 feet away from them. The chairs were strewn with throws and wraps. Nonetheless, the thought of enjoying some heat made us secure a warm corner inside.

Paris, the 'City of Love' is world renowned for being the epitome of liberalism. A city that unlike most, doesn't shy away from the bare, passionate nature of us humans, has made the ultimate statement by opening its very first nudist restaurant, O'Naturel. Adding to your list of reasons to visit Paris, here's O'Naturel for you.

In the evening, we enjoyed an hour's cruise on the River Seine to rediscover the full splendour of the river banks and monuments of Paris. As a couple or with friends, this gives you an opportunity to discover Paris as you've never seen it... Gliding under one bridge to another with a view of the finest monuments, enjoying an hour's relaxation in the heart of bustling Paris. The journey begins at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. There is also an option of Dinner on the cruise to satisfy your taste buds.

The first stop is the Belgian capital, Brussels, which houses the headquarters of the European Union. Take in the sights of the Grand Place, the medieval Town Hall and the famous Mannekin Pis statue.Pro tip: Brussels has a very strong fashion culture and some of the best shopping experience you'll come across in Europe. Avenue Louise is the most popular street for shopping.

Brussels, capital of Belgium, is said to be the capital of Europe since it’s home to the European Parliament, European Council and European Commission.This old city has its own charm when it comes to attracting people. Belgian waffles, beer and chocolates oh and did I forget the Belgian fries? Definitely add it to the list. However I would say that Brussels is pretty famous for its Gothic structures and art in various form that makes another reason for this place to be experienced at least once.

We took an early morning bus (7am) from Paris to Brussels. We reached Brussels at around 10 am and proceeded to our AirBnB accommodation. We spent just one day at Brussels. We first visited Grand Palais and then walked around till Mannekin Pis statue. There is a Tin Tin Mural at a walking distance. There are awesome Belgian waffles and chocolate shops in the city center. We then took a tram till Atomium and then went to Palais de justice. The Royal gallery hosts great restaurants with reasonable rates.We ended the day with the dinner at the Royal gallery.

History: “Bos” is the Dutch word for forest and “Halle” is the place where it is located. With around 6 square kilometres area, Hallerbos is like one of that purple-blue kingdom coming straight out of a Disney movie film making you question its existence in reality! The uniqueness of Hallerbos lies in its natural phenomenon of blooming blue bells (wild hyacinths) that blossom everywhere in the forest between late April and May making it look like a blue carpet (check my video here).

6. Le Chatelain Boutique Hotel, BrusselsIf a city escape is on your mind, then a five-star in the heart of Brussels should top your list. Le Chatelain is just as fancy as it sounds. With boutique interiors and gourmet cuisine, this hotel knows how to make you feel special.Location: 17 Rue de Châtelain, Elsene / Ixelles, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tariff: Rs 12,000 for an executive double room

We visited Brussels just for one day.From Amsterdam there are trains and buses to Brussels.If booked early we do have thalys trains which are faster and you get at low rates.Train tickets cost you something between 30-35 Euro one way.
If travelling by train just outside Main station you get Hop and hop off buses which has three routes you can choose any or all.They cost you around 23 Euro Per person.
Places to visit:
1) Atomium-It comprises nine 18 metre diameter steel spheres connected by tupes, all of which contain exhibits.It looks good from outside.Even surrounding area is pretty good.
2)Mini Europe--Timings are from 10 to 5:Last entry at 4:30.Its just behind the Atomium and lot of chances of you missing it as there are no big hording with its name.We missed it due that .
3)Grand-Place--As we know Brussels famous for their chocolates this square has lot of chocolate shops and Godiva is the famous one among it.You can taste different kind of chocolates.
4)Beer Tours-There are beer tour which takes you different bars from oldest one to the ones which came up recently.for beer tasting.They have fixed timings.So will suggest to book it prior you go there.
5)Chocolate Tours-There are couple of chocolate tour but my suggestion will be book it online before you visit Brussels as there if you ask locals they are not aware about it much and due to that we missed taking tour.
6)Manneken-Pis--I personally didn't find it interesting but its a famous tourist attractions on the tours.Its at such a place that you might not realize that you passed by the tourist attraction.
Also you will find the many waffles shops around the city and i tell you.You must try one you get lot of variety with hell lot of toppings over it.
My suggestion to whoever travelling on their should plan which all things you need to cover and cover them first and rest of the things if time permits you can go for it.Any walking tour you planning to take up book before hand don't keep it for last moment.It will be much organised.

After several visits in Brussels, I must confess: my trips don’t always involve shopping. I also like to widen my horizons and cultivate myself a bit. Even though Brussels is not a very big city, it has a major role in the European Union and a great history to discover. In general it is quite a young city with a lot going on in terms of exhibitions, art, culture, music… People are open minded, very nice and will make you feel very welcome. If you’re in the Belgian Capital for a short week-end, you should start by taking a walk in the historic centre and enjoy the architecture, the decor and Belgian atmosphere.

Cologne: On our way to Amsterdam,we visited Cologne Cathedral. Its a very very tall Gothic Cathedral which took 6 centuries to build. Capturing this stunning piece of architecture in a single frame was a tough task. It has 532 steps which will take you to the observation deck.

The first stop is the city of Cologne. While the place is popularly known to have the most unimpressive architecture in the country, Cologne Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece with 515 feet towers, more than makes up for it.Pro tip: Don't swim in the Rhine. At most places, it is not even legal to enter the water, and the current is so strong that you might drown.

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If you've seen the cult dark comedy In Bruges, you know exactly what to expect in this peculiar city. It's a prominent world heritage site according to UNESCO and that automatically makes it a haven for art connoisseurs. It's also called the "Venice of the North" so you can imagine how many new fairytales of your own you can create whilst walking down the cobbled roads to the whitewashed facades of historic churches. Spring is meant for daffodil carpets spread all over the city.Famous for: Beer and art.Things to do: Climb up the 366 stairs of the medieval Belfry Tower. Admire the flemish primitive artworks at Groeninge Museum.Weather in January: Average temperature is 5 degrees celsius. Remains dry, but nippy.Average budget per head for 5 days (excluding flights): Rs. 62,000For more details, read this.

Peter, our driver and guide for the day, greeted us with a smile and we set out on our day long trip. The onward journey was boring, people slept mostly. Peter passed us a packet of home-made honey cookies that he must have brought for himself and which we readily devoured.
I was in love with the first sight of Bruges or ‘Bru-ha’ as Peter called it. A famous movie ‘In Bruges’ was shot here. I haven’t seen the movie before but made sure I did once I got back.
Bruges to me was a representation of Ancient Europe. The place where we got down was a lane that leads to the Bruges Centrum. On both sides of this lane are buildings as old as 15 Th centuries. The Bruges centrum is a very colorful place. Well I don’t know how to write it, what to describe but just that I was awestruck, time stopped for me, it was so beautiful that in the 3rd day of this tour, I decided I have seen enough, what is left to see after this.
There were people sitting on the stairs, group of musicians siting in a corner and making music. This is again something that is true to all European cities, its musicians.
The centrum has an old fort and a historium. A historium is a museum that tells you the history of that place. We took a video tour of the museum in 10E. It was pretty expensive but still we thought of giving it a try. After having spent enough time at the city center and buying collectibles from the shops around we moved towards the famous canal ride of Bruges that more than us Peter was excited about.
n between we sneaked into one of the coffee shops and had the most amazing thing in the world, the Belgian waffle! Yummy is the word.
The ride cost is 17E but left us very happy. Beautiful houses as old as 14th or 15th century were lined up on two sides of the lane. The slow moving boat cruising the canal, the murmur of the boat guide telling stories about the place, the natural beauty around left me spellbound and I never wanted it to get over. But all good things come to an end and so did the canal ride and our stay in Bruges.